It’s Monday meaning it’s time for another Meet The Team instalment! This week we chat to Mauro about what got him into cars.
Mauro’s beginnings with mechanics began from a young age. His father owned a garage where a young Mauro would watch and learn about mechanics. Learning to walk around cars meant that the fascination for cars was imprinted from a young age.
Mauro tells us that he not only grew up watching his father fix cars but also got involved, “I was 5 when I drove my first car and crashed my first car at 9”, he laughs.
“I would go to school with car supplies in my backpack” Mauro explains.
Mauro went on to work for his father’s garage for around 12 years after he left school however they then parted ways and Maurot then got into driving lorries. Mauro’s career in lorry driving took him around Portugal and Spain, driving for transport and logistics companies.
When Mauro came to the UK, he continued to drive lorries for a number of different companies until he saw a job advert for Bridge Classic Cars. At first, he didn’t apply despite being interested but fate meant he saw another advert a year later and decided to go for it. With plenty of experience fixing cars and continuous personal projects, it made sense for Mauro to join our team of technicians in 2019.
“I love to drive. That’s it, I love driving.”
Mauro tells us he’s always had his own projects on the go, buying cars, fixing them up and then selling them on. Mauro’s current project is a Ford F100, an iconic American pick-up truck. “I love American cars, you grow up seeing them on TV so you want them”.
The intricacy of taking cars apart and reassembling them again is what Mauro enjoys the most, “I like to learn everything I can.”
“Over lock down I kept busy by fixing cars in my spare time”.
Mauro has also been the inspiration for our classic car competitions after he won a Mitsubishi Evolution 8 from Dream Car Giveaways.
Mauro’s dream car is a new Nissan GTR, a high-performance sports car and grand tourer.
“I love to drive” Mauro ends with. “That’s it, I just love to drive.”. Mauro explains that he’d love to do a road trip around Europe.
Much like our other Meet The Team instalments, we end with the technicians ‘birth year’ car, a car that hit the scenes in their year. Following Mauro’s love for American cars, we’ve chosen the 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
December 21, 2020 9:43 amPublished by Craig Ranson
It’s very difficult at times to perfect every single blemish on metalwork that is nearly 50 years.
But we try our best…
As someone humorously described to us only last week “it’s 50 years old, when in the morning I look into my mirror it’s obvious that I have seen better times!”
Our good friends at Douglas Metal Finishing in London are one of the leading chrome platers and metal finishing companies in Great Britain. They have performed miracles on the chrome work of our 1970’s Chevrolet Corvette.
The work is now complete and back with owner of this wonderful car.
December 14, 2020 2:07 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
A great day for our good friends at Ransome Van Centre in Ipswich with it’s three firsts in one day!
They were the first Commercial EV Dealer to visit the world’s first full electric service station by Gridserve, Braintree Electric Forecourt; charging their first fully designed EV eDeliver 3 commercial van.
Gridserve provide the most advanced charging facility in the World!
Is this the way the world is going? Will EV classic cars be the future of classic cars?
Our trim shop expert, Kath, has been busy making multiple covers for the magenta Triumph TR6. The hood and tonneau now have covers that have been created out of black vinyl. Velcro has been sewn on and all the individual parts are then sewn together. Kath has also made a bag for the jack which followed a similar pattern to the tool bag.
We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and floor. A paint job and some fabrication work will be in order to address the rust issues.
Lada 1200’s were a heavily modified version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc. The Lada brand was built with hash Russian and Siberian conditions in mind. The suspension was raised to clear rough Russian roads and the bodyshell was made from thicker, heavier steel to make them more durable. These cars were later shipped around the world and used as police cars, taxies and other public utility vehicles.
December 3, 2020 12:04 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve been discussing which modern cars we think are going to age like fine wines and which might fade into the history books. There are a whole host of current cars from run-abouts to super cars that have what it takes to become a classic car.
The conversation was triggered when a copy of the Garage Support landed on our desk in the marketing department, with the magazine open on an article that discussed the top 10 cars on the road over 3 years old. It got us thinking about how modern cars are ageing and which models will take centre stage for the next generation of sought after classics. Ellie, our marketing assistant was happy to see that her Toyota Yaris had made the cut for the top 10 cars, a small victory for a Wednesday afternoon.
Among the guesses made for future classics were the Ford Focus ST, VW Golf MK4, Mazda MX5, Toyota Starlet, Cupra Formentor, Fiat 124 Spider, F-Type Jaguar, Mitsubishi Evo VII and Aston Martin DB9.
The team had different reasons for their guesses, some suggested that much like the Beetle or Ford Escort that started its life as a simple first car, many of the common modern cars could also age well. It’s certainly a temptation to pick up a cheap car now with the foresight of a future classic!
Alternatively, we had some say that modern-day supercars such as Aston Martin DB9 and the Bugatti Veyron would make their way into the hall of classics, in much the same way as 1960’s sports cars such as the Jaguar E-Types developed into long-loved classics.
It’s certainly an interesting thought. Many of the cars we bought as cheap first cars have become sought after classics. But which cars will be the next selection of golden classics?
With the future of automotive engineering venturing into the world of electric motors and self-driving vehicles, will the classic manual petrol be a thing of the past?
We’ve found this lovely Mazda MX5 MK1 that had recently sold for just £1220 with 47,000 miles on the clock. Investing in a pre-1998 Mazda MX5 with low milage may just pay off in the future.
We’ve recently acquired what we believe to be an original 1972 Chevron B20, one of just 7 ever made and raced for Formula 2.
The original owner of this B20 was one of the partners of Chevron, who recently passed away. His son then took on the car and has come to us for Bridge Classics to sell it on his behalf. We’ll be selling the Chevron just as it is, no modifications made.
We believe that this car was re-built in 1972 after it was crashed on the track.
The engineers who built this particular B20 was Steve and Nial from Chevron who now own their own company called Red Rose Racing.
History
This vehicle has had quite a dramatic life. It’s been raced by Peter Gethin who won at Pau in 1972. It was also raced by Vic Elford and John Watson with a 1900cc Cosworth FVC in the Rothmans 5000. It was then believed to have been leased by Ed Reeves for David Morgan to race in the Torneio in Brasil at the end of 1972 however Morgan, unfortunately, crashed it in practice. It’s said to have been “extremely badly bent” as a result of hitting the barrier head-on, with Morgan unhurt but having to be cut out of the wreckage.
Interestingly in the naming of Chevrons cars, there were no recurring master numbers such as 11, 22, 33 etc. This was due to a superstition held by founder Derek Bennett who had been in an accident where the number 11 kept being linked to the crash. From then onwards, he made the decision to avoid naming his cars after those master numbers. However, this didn’t spare our B20 from its serious crash in 1972.
Keep your eyes peeled for the official photoshoot coming soon!
November 25, 2020 12:41 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our new 1994 Land Rover Range Rover TDI is getting some top to bottom TLC, starting with the top! The ceiling cloth was in need of some refurbishment, so Kath, one of our Trim specialists took it apart and re-glued that fabric.
Although the ceiling cloth didn’t need a total replacement, some of the fabric had come loose which meant that Kath had to peel back the fabric, pull it tight and then re-glue it.
After making sure all the fabric had been glued back down, Kath turned the ceiling fitting around and pulled the fabric over the edges to make sure it all stuck. The end result was a smart refurbished ceiling cloth. Good as new!
November 23, 2020 4:19 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
From purring to roaring, we’ve seen this Jaguar E-Type race car grow from start to finish. The project itself has been the epitome of Bridge Classic Cars, to prove what we can do.
This 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 Series 1 came in in 2016 as nothing more than a beaten up shell that had been sat in a barn. After a full nut and bolt restoration, a lot of hard work and planning from the whole team, it now resembles a beautiful custom race car.
The significance of the number 17 on the side is that the project started in 2017. Its been a long road but we’re excited to see this stunning car come to life.
Now the car is finished, it will have a full photoshoot and will be auctioned off to be sold. Keep your eyes peeled for its official photoshoot!
November 23, 2020 3:20 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Tom is our level 3 apprentice, studying classic car mechanics with the aim to graduate as a fully-fledged classic car technician.
Growing up, Tamas enjoyed restoring modern classics with his brother. From there, his fascination with engineering and classic restorations began.
“I’ve always been around cars and interested in how they work.”
When Tom came to the UK, he started a course in Classic Car Restoration in Leeds which set the foundations for a growing career in the classic car world.
In 2018, Tom then took up a job at a classic car restoration company that specialised in Porches and took up a level 2 apprenticeship in mechanics at the Colchester Institute. When Tom came to work at Bridge Classic Cars in September 2019, he started on his level 3 apprenticeship with the Colchester Institute.
Tom has the interest to further his career in electric cars which is becoming increasingly more prevalent in the world of engineering.
One of the biggest cars the year Tom was the McLaren F1. Celebrities such as Elon Musk, Rowan Atkinson and the Sultan of Brunei have owned the famous car. In 2017 Top Gear Magazine, listed it as one of the fastest naturally aspirated cars currently available in the world.
November 23, 2020 3:18 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our latest addition to the Bridge Classic Car family is this lorry! Although it looks rather plain and underwhelming now, when designed, it’s going to look great as our new transporter!
We still have our covered vehicle transporter trailer however it can only fit one car in at a time whereas this new lorry will be able to transport multiple cars and equipment!
Alongside using the lorry for our own vehicles, we aim to offer our own transportation services for other companies.
We can’t wait to get this lorry designed!
November 20, 2020 9:45 amPublished by Craig Ranson
More work has been done on our 1960 Peony red Jensen 541S. The latest instalments are the seat covers and pockets that have been made by our trim shop. This involved marking out the leather for the seats, sewing the piping and side bands on, making and sewing on the skirt, and then creating the pockets. Once all these elements have been carefully created, that can be put together.
Our engine specialist, Ady is in the process of rebuilding the engine. So far the bottom end is done and its awaiting the cylinder heads to be attached.
November 20, 2020 9:06 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our new 1994 Land rover – Range Rover TDI has just joined the family but needs some TLC before its ready to go.
These refurbishments include carpeting the floor, replacing the ceiling cloth, refurbishing the back quarter panels, re-painting the body work and servicing it.
So far, our technician Tom has replaced the carpets and ceiling cloth.
The back quarter panels have been removed and placed in the trim shop to be refurbished once we decide on a paint colour for the rest of the body.
November 19, 2020 3:47 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
This week the centre console trims have been made and fitted in the 1960 Jensen 541R. The first step was to make the top piece, which was sewn and piped by our interior trim technician Kath, before passing it over to Brian.
Once the leather top piece had been passed to Brian, our other interior trim technician, he added foam padding and made the rest of the centre console.
Now assembled, it can now be fitted into the Jensen.
November 19, 2020 10:22 amPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve welcomed another beautiful Jaguar E-Type for a check-up at Bridge Classic Cars, this week. This one is a 1973 Series 3 V12 E-Type.
Upon further inspection, our technician Pete discovered that both the Clutch Slave Cylinder and the Power Steering are both leaking fluid and will need to be replaced.
“It’ll fail its MOT if this isn’t addressed” Pete told us, standing underneath the car which had been raised onto one of our ramps.
Although the car is technically drivable, these issues would not only cause the car to fail its MOT, but could also lead to more series issues such as loosing control and access to the gears.
The next step to address these issues is to completely replace both the Power Steering and the Clutch Slave Cylinder.
The front bumpers are also going to be removed and replaced to give the Jaguar an extra shine.
November 19, 2020 9:52 amPublished by Craig Ranson
We were featured in the November-December 2020 issue of Jensen’s Owners Club Magazine for a Jensen 541S we restored a few years back for Ronald Everaert who recently wrote a piece for the magazine about his Jensen.
One of our favourite parts of restoring cars is being able to see the owners enjoy their pride and joys again, ready to make more memories in. It’s particularly lovely to hear from them via photos and articles such as this!
November 17, 2020 3:03 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on and off when needed. This means when the Amphicar is out on the water at night, other ships can see it!
Adam, our electrical specialist has also redone the connection block. This has been refurbished to make them easier to access if any repairs or tweaking has to be done in future!
With these fixes made, the Amphicar is steadily getting closer to completion after its recent boat MOT. You can see the check list we were provided below:
November 17, 2020 1:57 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The Peony Red Jensen 541S has had its engine rebuilt. Our engine specialist has been working to refurbish and rebuild the old engine.
No one ever claimed that rebuilding engines were easier, nor pretty… Ady cleared out this huge sludge ball from the Peony Red’s engine. This rather dubious-looking ball of sludge is made from hard water and dirt caught up in the engine. Its all part of the job…
November 17, 2020 9:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our trim shop is not only incredibly unique but it is also relatively new! The trim shop, as a functioning entity has only really existed since this year. Although we’ve had a trim specialist before, we never had a specific team and workshop dedicated to it until 2020! Both Kath and Brian have joined the Bridge Classic Car family this year and have been invaluable.
It’s rare to have an in-house trim shop at a classic car restoration workshop as many companies prefer to outsource, which comes with its own problems and communications. We, however, are very lucky to have ours in-house which not only saves time and miscommunications but also means everything is made to fit and can be fitted and tested immediately. This makes for swifter restorations and ultimately a better workflow. Anything that’s needed can be made and modified as needed.
Meet Kath
Vibrant and talented, Kath is one of our Trim Shop Trio.
Kath describes herself as arty and crafty, with always having a creative background. Kath holds a selection of qualifications from Interior Design to Spatial Design and history in painting and decorating as well as previous car trim work. Kath then joined the team in January 2020.
“I’ve always enjoyed making things and being creative. I like being hands-on.”
Kath loves VW’s and has always had a soft spot for them. She’s done up her own VW campervan before but currently owns a beautiful red VW Beetle which is her pride and joy.
Kath says she enjoys working in an in-house trim shop rather than outsourcing it as she did before, as you get more of a personal connection with the projects, “You’re never doing the same thing twice!” Kath tells us, “I love everything here, it’s so satisfying learning where everything fits and seeing it being installed.”
Meet Brian
Brian was the second Trim Shop specialist to join Bridge Classic Cars who started in March 2020.
Brian originally started working on Micralite planes but later moved to trim work and interior car design. Brian also worked with Kath at their previous workplace outsourcing interior trim, so made the perfect team when they both moved to Bridge Classic Cars!
Brian has always worked with interior trim and really enjoys being a part of the team.
“It’s great to see cars go from parts to being roadworthy. You have such a big part in keeping these old cars going.”
Brian says he’s always loved hot hatches but currently has a new mini but has his sights set on buying an original mini to do up too. “Working with cars like these, at some point you want to get your own!” Brian tells us.
Meet Rosie
The third and final member of the Trim Shop is Cockerpoo puppy, Rosie!
As an invaluable member of the team, Rosie offers morale and team spirit for not only the trim shop but for the whole of the Bridge Classic Cars team!
Rosie is now 9 months old as she was born on Valentine’s day. She certainly has a talent for spreading the love!
Rosie’s favourite part about being in the trim shop is getting visits from other members of the Bridge team who frequently give her cuddles and attention, she’s a real team player!
November 16, 2020 11:49 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The trim shop has made the centre console for the radio. This entails measuring each section, cutting out those sections from the leather, and then from those pieces, creating a gaiter for the gear stick and an outer shell for the radio console.
The next step was to make and fit the carpets which includes bolting them down and adding deadening to the tunnel.
The speaker panel was next to be made and fitted. As well as the leather, the speaker panels also needed foam padding adding to it.
Once again, the trim shop has done an amazing job fitting the new interior to the TR6. With the seats added back in, it’s looking really smart!
November 13, 2020 12:38 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
As ever, it’s been a busy week here at Bridge Classics. We’ve had new cars arrive like the Mini Clubman, we’ve had a new winner announced yesterday and lots of new developments with our current projects. Here’s what’s gone on throughout the week!
Peugeot 504
Our engine specialist Ady has been working on the 504’s engine by fitting the flywheel and couch before fitting it back into the Peugeot.
The Peugeot has also had a recent trim shop appointment, with new carpets being made and fitted by our expert, Brian.
1960 Black Jensen 514R
The Black Jensen has had new sills made and fitted to give the finishing touch to the bottom of its driver’s door.
1994 Nissan Micra Dot
The Nissan Micra has now been finished! The paintwork has been completed, bumps and scrapes were taken out and it’s pretty much ready to go again! This endearing little Micra would make the perfect first car for someone learning to drive!
1988 Nissan 300ZX
The Nissan 300ZX has come in recently and appears to have some rather severe rust issues on the lower door sills. Among other restorations, that rust and those holes will have to go! You can see the rest of the work here.
1963 Morris Minor 1000
One of our technicians, Scott has been working carefully on the Morris Minor’s dazzling red interior. The door cards, handles, and carpets have all been fitted.
1960 Lilac Jensen 541R
This Jensen actually belongs to Bridge’s director and founder, Gordon Ranson, and is now starting its restoration journey with us! There’s a lot to do but we can’t wait to see the final product!
One of our technicians Anthony has been working on the body, hand making a lot of the elements such as the boot floor.
Barn find Mercedes
Barn finds are like hidden treasures and we love them when they come in. Currently, we’ve got two prospective projects that need cleaning up and assessing before we know what needs to be done. We really hope we’ll be able to work on these two cars!
Over the Pond Austin Healey
This Austen Healey 100 BN1 is currently residing in America but could be ours soon! Keep an eye out on our website and social media pages for updates!
Craig’s new Gastron
When you work with classic cars all the time, sometimes you want to mix it up a bit. That’s exactly what our Director Craig has done! He’s recently acquired this 3 litre speed boat. Fingers crossed for nice weather soon then!
Red Jaguar E-Type
Another prospective project has been viewed recently and it’s a beautiful red e-type that needs some TLC!
November 13, 2020 11:37 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our trim experts have been focusing on making sure our new competition car, the 1972 MGB Blaze Orange Roadster, is all up to scratch. The latest fine detail that’s been tweaked is the trimmings in the boot.
Firstly Kath made a tool bag by marking out the pieces on the leather, sewing Velcro on, sewing the two pieces together, and finally, turning them over.
The next task was to make the boot carpet. This was done by cutting out the pattern from the material, binding the edges, and fitting it.
After all this is done, it leaves the MGB with a neat interior, reader for anything the world has to throw at it, or in it.
November 13, 2020 8:35 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its colour transformation initiated with a prep mask being applied in the engine bay. It then continued to have prime and topcoat added.
Soon it’ll have a whole body of fresh paint.
November 12, 2020 4:24 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster has been sent to the Paint Shop to be stripped down for respray, primed, bumps, and scrapes fixed and rust removed.
Once the dents had been corrected and the body sanded and stripped, it was time for the BMW to receive a high build primer coat which allows the paint to stick. The next stage will be for the BMW to go back to the spray booth for masking and respray.
This stunning car will soon be up for grabs in one of our competitions! Keep your eyes peeled for a smart red modern classic coming your way!
November 12, 2020 3:23 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any holes, taking out rust and installing custom made metal pieces.
Our engine specialist Ady carried out a full engine rebuild and has modified the piston holes by making sure the edges are bevelled at an angle rather than a sharp 90 degrees angle. This ensures the pistons fit in neater.
The rest of the engine rebuild has included the rocker fingers being refaced and re-boring with bigger pistons
November 12, 2020 12:07 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve got another new kid on the block and this time it’s a unique 1979 Morris Austin Mini Clubman with bespoke finishing! This beautiful Mini is set to be an upcoming competition car, so keep your eyes peeled for its release!
The mini had been with Roger Moorhouse from Roger Moorhouse Classic Car Repairs in Norwich for 15 years where no expense had been spared in its restoration.
This beautiful forest green Mini Clubman holds bespoke details such as the gold alloy wheels, wood vinyl interior, and pristine green and cream interior furnishings. A fun yet practical drive for family outings and roadtrips!
It’s had to have a few interior touch-ups to get the leather looking perfect. Our Trim Shop specialists Kath and Brian have been handling those refurbishments which include a new gear stick gaiter, gluing vinyl back onto the rear board pannels, and fixing any loose material.
November 12, 2020 11:17 amPublished by Craig Ranson
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale, we had to buy it.
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